The day when Rago first time came to Death Stalkers gang with Shami. A hour before they started to Black Vipers. (Refer Chapter: Feisty Fire)

Shami and Liega sat alone in his cabin. He wanted to talk to her.

"Do you did that?" Liega asked with fury.

"Did what?" Shami played calm.

"Did you kill Chaabri?" He asked more like demanding the answer.

"Yes", she answered.

"Why?" He yelled. She ignored his question.

"I already said you to not come here until I asked. Then why you came here? And why you killed him?" He razed with anger. She smirked. He knew that she wouldn't follow his orders.

"Shami, I asked simple question. Why you are hesitating to answer? Are you regretting your deeds?" He asked calmly.

"No", she said.

"Then?" he crossed his arms to his chest.

"They are plotting to kill you", she said casually.

"How do you know that?" He asked curiously.

"All I can say is, you better be careful", she said.

Kofe used to be with Davi and his men but he was a good friend to Shami and he respected Liega. So, he leaked their plan to her for sake of Liega.

Chaabri suspected Kofe and followed him. He saw him meeting Shami and Shami killed him.

"I never asked you before but I want to know. Who are you Shami? What you are doing in this forest? What's your real motive?" Liega asked calmly.

"Does it matter to you?" She asked.

"Your well being matters to me", he said. She chuckled.

"If I say that I'm hear to kill you all, Would you believe?" she asked with a sarcastic smile. 

"I don't doubt either", he said with straight face.

"I'm leaving", she rose to her feet.

"Stay there. Don't come back", he said in low tone.

"Be careful. Take care of yourself", she said before leaving. She didn't know that would be their last time.

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Rago POV

All stood before a large old peepal tree. Rotten, deteriorated corpse of Liega tied to it. Foul smell filled this place.

It's hard to keep my eyes at that visual. Ziral and Iral silently shedding tears. But Shami stood there without a single drop of water and staring without a blink. I could understand the sorrow behind that coldness.

Zagi ordered to lit fire to that corpse. They performed last rites in their way. We all stood in silence until the ashes. A man collected those ashes and handed over to Zagi.

All the while I stood with Shami holding her hand.  How she attained this level of stability?

"He don't deserve it", Ziral mumbled. Iral hummed beside him.

I took Shami aside and asked her to sit. And I sat beside her.

"Are you okay?" I gave a gentle squeeze on her shoulder.

"I think..... He deserve it", she said in low tone. She was looking at the stream before us and I was looking at her.

"He might be the one who raised Iral and Ziral. He might be the one who protected me. He might be my teacher.

But after all this, he was a robber, a ruthless killer and head of a cruel gang. What else he would deserve? Karma. It gives whatever we deserve."

"All I can do is, forever grateful to him", she said.

***************

Side Story

"Grand mother", three teenage girls barged into a old lady's room.

That old lady was knitting flowers into garland for next day prayers. She averted her eyes from flowers for sudden intrusion of her lovely grand daughters. She gave them a lovely smile.

"Grand mother look, these two are teasing me", one girl in green saree complained like a kid.

Three settled on bed around the old lady.  She handed them flowers and they joined her.

"No grand mother. We did nothing", one in pale pink saree said hiding her evil smile and the other girl in yellow saree nodded agreeing with her sister.

" They are lying", green saree girl complained.

"What happened?" Old lady asked softly.

"We asked her about her fiance", yellow saree one said.

"Look she is blushing", another girl pointed to green one who was flustered.

"No I'm not", she denied weakly.

"You know grand mother, she likes him a lot", yellow one gushed.

"That day when he came to our house, she tried every possibility to see him", another one blurted.

"No, I didn't", she protested. But her red cheeks said another story.

"We saw with our own eyes", yellow one chimed.

"Did you see him?" Old lady asked in a teasing tone.

"No, but I saw his beautiful eyes", she answered.

"Aha", her sisters teased in unison. She realised what she blurted out. She weakly protested but they started tickling her.

"Stop it.... Stop it", old lady tried to stop them. Whole room filled with their giggles. They quit their bickering after few minutes.

"I'm scared", that blushing damsel rested her head on old lady's lap.

"Why?" Old lady asked softly running her hand on her head.

"How will I live with that strangers?" she asked. Old lady chuckled.

"Everything will be fine", she said with smile.

Two other girl placed their heads on old lady's lap. "Tell us a story", one girl asked. 

"Umm....... I will tell a love story", old day said.

"Okay", three said in unison.

"Long long back there lived a great king named Erait..."

"And he is lord of fire", one interrupted.

"We know that story", another one dismayed.

"It's not that story", old lady chuckled.

"You know how Erait fought for his people. But there is another war he waged for his queen. A young man helped him and this story is about that man."

"Oh", they nodded.

"After defeating hell knight, Erait prisoned him under mountains away from this world. 

After 200 hundred years hell knight escaped and abducted Erait's wife, Taivi and locked her in hell forest. No one knew about that forest including Erait.

Erait searched all possible places but didn't find his wife. He found Hell knight in a dangerous dark island. They had a great fight and Erait killed Hell knight. He died without telling the location of his wife.

Driven by anger and grief Erait started searching for his wife. He unleashed his fire and frantically burnt everything in his path.

Years passed and half of the world became ashes already. Universe wanted to solve this problem. So it had choosen a young man.

Nalar wanted to save his family and village from Erait.  Despite of protests of his people, he left them in search of hell forest. Crossed heights of mountains and depths of valleys. Flowed with streams and flew against the winds. Rise with the Sun and shine with the moon.

In his journey, he met Sages and Scholars, Nobel and rogues and learnt all possible knowledge about that Hell forest. After years of his journey, he found nothing. All his hopes started slipping out of his hands. At that time Masira came to his life to make his journey better. She was a tribal girl and a professional archer.

Nalar, stayed in that tribe for few days. In those few days Nalar and Masira fell deep in love with each other. They got to know each other.

That tribe was under the clutches of the people of hell forest. Monsters of hell used to hunt normal people for their living.

Masira lost all her family because of those monsters. She knew about the path for the forest. Nalar knew about the guardian of that forest. They joined hands.

In their journey they faced many dangers but never left each other. They together learnt many secrets about the forest. At last they reached their destination.

People of that forest prisoned them in a dark cave. There they met Taivi. They released her from all chains and curses.

Taivi regained all her powers and freezes the time.  Whole world stilled in its place. She unleashed aura of her soul and it spread all over the world. Erait understood that's all because of his wife.

He immediately started his journey towards his wife with his army. He waged war with army of hell. Erait won the war and took his wife with him."

"Then?" one girl asked.

"That's it. Story ended", old lady said expecting questions from them.

"What about Nalar and Masira?" other girl asked.

"Nalar and Masira died holding each other hands."

"What?" Three asked in unison.

"They died in that war", old lady said.

"That's not fair", one girl mumbled.

"There is nothing unfair. May be they lived short but they made it full. They were together until last breath.

They born for a purpose. They born for each other. Nalar had half pieces of a puzzle and Masira had other half. Puzzle would solved only if they were together. And they together arranged them in place.

They saved their people by stopping Erait. They saved many lives. Their unconditional love own the war."

"After few years, a flower bloomed from ashes. Gradually all the burnt side of world turned into green. Just like their love, world became beautiful. They would alive as long as this world lasts."

"Revenge belonged to Hell knight. Misery belonged to Taivi. Damage belonged to world. And war belonged to Erait.

Between all this Masira belonged to Nalar. Her love was the only one thing he ever owned. She was the soul of his story."

"Why you never said this story before?" green saree girl asked. 

"At this time you can understand it better", old lady answered. 

************

I keep this Chapter short. Phase of 'Malabi' ended. 

Shami and Rago will be moving with Black Vipers. Phase of 'Kshameri' will start soon. 

There are many more secrets yet to reveal. 

Shami met Kofe and killed Chaabri in first chapter. I think you got cleared what all that in this Chapter.

Now coming to the story I written above. The old lady and her three grand daughters. And the other story from Chapter: 'Tale', A young mother trying to save her infant.

For clarification, it's nothing related to our main story. I tried to describe people outside the forest. Their superstitions, their lifestyle and their beliefs

Once Phase of 'Dorchell' started. You can understand things better. 

**************

Characters:

Shami: Black Viper and female lead.

Rago: Death stalker and male lead

Ziral and Iral : Twin brothers and friends of Shami

Zagi: Head of black vipers.

Liega: Head of death stalker gang.(Dead)

Davi, Chaabri: Member of death stalkers(Dead)

Kofe: Member of death stalkers.

Characters from Side story:

Erait: Mighty king and Lord of Fire.

Taivi: Queen of Erait.

Nalar: A young man from small village who tried to find Hell Forest.

Masira: A young girl from a small tribe. Love of Nalar. 

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